Recent news reports have informed us that an Australian has tragically died while climbing Mt Everest this past May 19. Ten people have died so far in this Everest climbing season, which stretches from April to May. These tragedies remind us that there are many dangers to contend with while on the slopes of the world’s tallest mountain, which rises 8,848m above sea level. For comparisons sake, Australia’s highest mountain is Mount Kosciuszko, reaching 2,228m into the sky, one quarter the height of Everest! 

The news of the deaths on Everest reminds me of the time that a friend, Ted